Package and method of making the same



Dec. 31, 1935. c. w. LEGUILLON PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 23, 1932 7" nL/E'nZbE. [haw/s5 ZZ/Lsyui/Zan l a J aalw y Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Application August 23, 1932, Serial No. 630,003

2 Claims. (01. 206-60) This invention relates to packagea and especially to packages for such articles as roofing shingles, which are often subjected to rough treatment in connection with handling and transportation.

On account of the severe shocks to which such packages are sometimes subjected, as when they are dumped from a vehicle, and because of the relatively fragile and sometimes flexible nature of the articles, the packages require a rugged construction to resist loosening or separation of the articles, breakage, and distortion of the package. In order to meet these requirements packages of this type heretofore have usually included stiff bracing elements, usually wood, which material, besides being bulky, is comparatively costly and has involved comparatively expensive operations for its preparation and assembly. Also, in the prior constructions, where only a skeleton or cage-like frame work has been provided around the articles for the sake of economy of materials, the exposed portions of the articles have been vulnerable to bruising and breakage, and such packages, although extensively used, have not been wholly satisfactory.

The chief objects of this invention are to provide an improved package, to provide procedure for conveniently producing the package, to provide for strength and ruggedness of the structure with economy of materials and without rendering the package unduly buiky, and to provide adequate protection to the outer surfaces of the assembled articles. A further object is to provide the package with the desired rigidity and strength by the use of flexible packaging materials.

These and further objects will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of an assembly of shingles packaged in accordance with the invention in its preferred form.

Although the invention is of especial utility in the packaging of such slabike articles as shingles, the invention is not wholly so limited and may be availed of to good advantage in the making of packages of other articles, for example, bundles of stick or rod-like articles.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrated package comprises an assembly of shingles l0, l arranged face to face, at the edges of which are preferably provided angle strips H, H of any suitable sheet material such as cardboardv or metal, in case great stiffness is desired, for protection and reinforcement, A flat strip wrapping element 12 of such flexible material as paper or fabric is helically wrapped upon the angle strips ll, preferably with an intervening layer of a suitable adhesive material I3, such as a bituminous substance, previously applied to the strips ll. A cord, wire or like element I 4, is helically wound upon the strip l2, preferably in the same helical direction and with the same pitch as the strip, to reinforce it throughout its length, and upon this is wound another cord element IS in the opposite helical direction.

A layer of bituminous or other suitable cementitious substance I6 is preferably applied upon the cords l4 and i5 and inner wrapper l2, and upon this is applied an outer wrapper of flat strip 5 material ll wound helically in a direction opposite to that of the inner wrapper l2 and preferably in such helical relation to the cord I5 as to be reinforced by the latter throughout its length.

Adjacent convolutions of the strips l2 and I! may be partially overlapped if desired for additional rigidity, as shown with respect to the strip l2, although these convolutions may be disposed in edge to edge abutment, as shown with respect to the strip H, or even slightly spaced as regards at least the inner layer l2, with adequate strength, the crossed relation of the strip convolutions I2 and I1 providing a truss-like structure that resists distortion of the package. The strength of the structure is contributed to moreover by the layer of cementitious material I5 which resists relative movement of the convolutions l2 and I1 and provides in effect a continuous sheath of adequate stiffness despite the fact that the materials of the sheath are individually quite flexible. At the same time the structure possesses a desirably small amount of resilience to absorb shocks.

The cord elements l4 and I5 reinforce the strips 42 and 11 against strains exerted longitudinally of the strips at all points along their lengths, and, due to the crossed relation of their helices, they serve also to resist angular distortion of the package.' Undesirable movement of the cord elements from their proper positions is resisted 45 by the cementitious layer IS in which the cords are embedded.

The articles themselves, being held together in their face to face relation, contribute to the rigidity of the package, and relative endwise movement of them is resisted by the considerable frictional restraint of their contacting surfaces, so that end closures for the package are rendered unnecessary.

Packages of this construction may be conveniently produced by a progressive wrapping procedure, the stacks of articles being fed in an end to end procession past the wrapping station where the several elements constituting the wrapping are applied in turn, the helically disposed elements being applied preferably by means of suitable winding devices in a manner which will be understood by those skilled in the art.

After the wrapping operation the continuous sheath is severed at or near the ends of the stacks to provide the individual packages. As the helical elements are strongly held in place by the cementitious material, even at their severed ends, no additional securing device is necessary, and in addition to the convenience afforded by this procedure of simply severing the packages from the procession, the resulting Wrapper extending from end to end of the package is desirable for the extensive protection that is provided for the articles.

Variations may be resorted to without departing-from the scope of the invention as it is defined in the following claims:

I claim:

1. The method of packaging plate-like articles which comprises arranging them in face-to-face relation in a plurality of stacks of substantially equal dimensions, arranging the stacks in juxtaposed relation with the edge faces of the articles of one stack presented to the edge faces of those of another stack, helically wrapping the plurality of stacks as a unit with a strip of wrapping material, securing the helical wrapping of material against unwinding, and severing the wrapping to separate the stacks with a portion of the wrapping on each.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a plurality of stacks of plate-like articles in faceto-face relation in each stack, the stacks being in juxtaposition with the edge faces of the articles of one stack presented to the edge faces of those of another stack, a helical wrapping of strip material common to a plurality of the stacks, and means on each stack holding the wrapping against unwinding.

CHARLES W. LEGUILLON. 

